Vampire's Curse
by Renrin Taiho
Summary: Harry Potter goes out for a walk one night and meets someone who changes his life completely. What follows is a story of growing up and loss as Harry is thrown into a war against the people he used to call his friends. HP/OCSlash eventual HP/DM. READ A/N!
1. Ardeth Baie

**A/N:** Disclaimer: You all know the drill. Any characters you recognize aren't mine, any you don't recognize are mine. Harry Potter and the world of Wizardry were invented by J.K. Rowling, not me. I don't own any rights to the characters.

Vampire's Curse takes place in Harry's "seventh" year. Books 5-7 disreguarded. WARNING: This story contains Slash and possible Femmslash (haven't really decided if I want to add that genre as well). If you don't like it, don't read. You have been warned. Flamers will NOT be tolerated.

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Chapter one: Ardeth Baie

Harry Potter wandered around the streets aimlessly. His aunt and uncle had been driving him crazy since he had come back for the summer holidays, and Harry's only way to get away from their nagging was to go walking. So, that's what he was doing. Walking around, near 8:00 at night, lost in thought. He wished that he could get away from them and have a normal life of his own, but he had no place to go. And it wasn't as if his life was normal anyway. It's hard to be normal when one is a wizard.

Harry had spent the last six years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his favorite place in the world. He loved it there. The castle with its many corridors, the hidden passageways, and ghosts popping in and out of walls at random. But there were also its dangerous times as well. During that time, Harry had almost been killed four times at the hands of a deranged lunatic named Voldemort. Voldemort was the most feared wizard in the wizarding world for one reason: his power. He had murdered several hundred people over the years, and finally, after what had seemed over 100 years of terror, he had finally been beaten. On the night he killed Harry's parents, when Harry had been a year old, he had also tried to kill Harry as well, but the spell he used on the infant had backfired, tearing Voldemort's soul from his body. Everyone had thought he had been killed, and everyone became hopeful again, while Harry had become an overnight celebrity.

Unfortunately, Voldemort had come back when Harry was fourteen years old, thirteen years after his "destruction". Harry had witnessed the entire incident, and lost a good friend in the process. The thought of being in that graveyard still gave him nightmares, even after almost three years. Now, Harry knew that the only way the wizarding world would be safe again is if someone actually succeeded in killing Voldemort, and the only one who had the power to do that was him. One tiny problem though: he didn't know how. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't notice someone walking in front of him and ran right into that person. Harry lost his balance and almost fell, and would have if the person he had run into hadn't caught his arm.

"Are you alright?" It was a man's voice, without an English accent. Harry nodded and looked up at him, then blushed. This guy was, for lack of a better word, beautiful. He looked about 19, and he had long silky-looking brown hair, which was tied back in a ponytail at the base of his head. His skin was the color of cream, and his eyes were the lightest color of blue Harry had ever seen. His clothes were light as well, his shirt almost matching the color of his eyes and his jeans were so worn and faded that they looked white in some areas.

"I-I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention." Harry stammered, then frowned. What was wrong with him? The man noticed he was blushing and smiled slightly to himself. He let go of Harry's arm.

"It's alright." Harry smiled shyly, and then went around him to continue walking. The man grabbed his arm again gently.

"Wait, please. Since we ran into each other, don't you think we should introduce ourselves?" he asked, and this time Harry could see his smile. Blushing more made Harry realize he was blushing, and he looked away quickly.

"If you want to, that's fine." Harry said to the pavement. The man released his arm again, smiling more.

"My name is Ardeth Baie. And you're Harry Potter, right?" Harry sighed. Another wizard.

"No, not exactly." Harry frowned. Was this guy reading his mind?

"Uh…what do you mean, not exactly?" Ardeth looked awkward for a moment, then quickly hid it.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just thinking out loud. I do that a lot, I apologize." Harry looked skeptical of his explanation for a moment, but then dismissed it. Ardeth smiled again.

"So, what are you doing this evening, just walking?" he asked.

"Yeah…I had to get out of the house before I lost my mind." Harry replied, sighing. Ardeth laughed slightly.

"Well, since you're only walking and you have no one to talk to, would you mind if I joined you?" Harry shook his head and started walking aimlessly again, Ardeth falling in step next to him.

"So…your family is annoying you?" Ardeth asked uncertainly, unsure of what to talk about. Harry continued to look at the pavement.

"Yeah, especially my uncle. I can't do anything without him glaring or growling at me." Ardeth laughed again. Harry glanced at him.

"You have an unusual name. Where are you from?" he asked. Ardeth didn't answer him right away, choosing instead to look at the pavement. Eventually, he looked up, smiling again.

"Not from here, obviously." He replied. Harry stopped walking and raised an eyebrow at him. Then he shrugged at the same time his stomach growled. He grimaced slightly, placing a hand on his stomach. Ardeth laughed again.

"Hungry?"

Harry nodded. "I must have forgotten to eat before I left the house." Ardeth smiled at him again.

"Then let me buy you something, ok?"

"Why would you do that?" Harry asked, frowning.

"I feel bad about running into you," He said simply. "Please?" Harry's frown increased, but he nodded his consent.

-x:x-

About thirty minutes later found the two in a small café on the corner of the street they had run into each other on. Ardeth had said that Harry could get anything he wanted, but the teen had gotten a cheap sandwich and a small cup of tea, while Ardeth himself ordered nothing. When asked about why, he simply said, "I'm not hungry."

After Harry had finished eating, he and his new companion started talking, asking questions about each other's lives. Ardeth was very secretive when it came to answering Harry's questions, or at the very least he was vague with his answers. He had told Harry that while he wasn't a wizard, he still knew about the wizarding community and could do magic, but he wouldn't say how. Harry wasn't sure whether he was lying or not, but decided not to ask. He also wouldn't tell Harry how old he was.

"Why not?" Harry asked, frowning heavily at the man sitting across from him, who just smiled softly.

"Because you wouldn't believe the answer."

"Try me." Ardeth's soft smile turned into a smirk.

"I'm probably a lot older than anyone else you know." Harry blinked at that.

"You were right; I don't believe you," he muttered, causing the other to laugh.

"Told you." Ardeth glanced at the clock, his blue eyes growing wide.

"When were you planning on going home, Harry?" he asked. The brunette looked at the clock behind him as well, then gasped. It was now 9:03, and his aunt and uncle were probably furious with him.

"Oh, shit…I should go," he said, getting out of his seat. Ardeth did the same and they left the café. They walked back down the street in silence, and then Harry turned to face to him. "Thank you for buying me food."

Ardeth smiled, his crystal eyes reflecting the light from the store windows next to them. "It was my pleasure. Would you like me to walk you home?"

Harry blushed. "T-that won't be necessary. Thank you for offering, though. See ya." The teen raised a hand in farewell, thinking he'd probably never run into Ardeth again –a thought that made him slightly upset- then turned and ran back home.

Ardeth watched him leave, feeling mildly disappointed. Then he shrugged and turned in the opposite direction, heading to his own home to freshen up before getting back to his objective.

-x:x-

Hours later, after Harry had arrived home and gotten yelled at by his uncle who locked in his room for the rest of the night, after the teen had fallen asleep, a young man with brown hair and light blue eyes turned onto Privet Drive. He seemed to be looking for something, which he was, though many people might wonder why he was here. Even though his eyes gave him away, he looked nothing like he did earlier. He looked like he was dressed for the darkest corner of a risqué nightclub, not for a stroll. He now wore solid black; a fitted black sleeveless shirt, low-cut black leather pants, and black boots. His hair was free from its ponytail, flowing about his shoulders in waves and his skin, which had been somewhat darkened by the artificial light from the stores, now shown as bright and as pale as the moon above him.

He continued down the road swiftly, searching for the boy's magical presence, meaning to watch over him until dawn until a different presence stopped him. A presence he was all too familiar with. He closed his eyes, smirking, and, without looking behind him, asked, "What do you want, Chloe?"

A woman looking to be in her early twenties stepped out of the shadows next to him, her blood red eyes reflecting out of a face that was as pale as his. Her hair was much longer than his, reaching her waist in soft black ringlets. Her outfit was almost identical to his; the only difference was a coat that swept against her knees. She smiled, her soft pink lips parting to reveal sharp canines. She reached out a hand and brushed it against his cheek, frowning a little when he shied from the touch.

"To check your progress. Angel sent me."

His mouth dropped open in outrage, glaring at the new comer. "Are you serious?!"

"When am I not serious, Ardeth Baie?" the woman, Chloe, snapped. He flinched as if she had struck him, and then looked at the ground sheepishly.

"I'm sorry…" Chloe took a deep breath, then smiled at him, shaking her head.

"It's fine. My reaction was similar when she asked me to come here. You've only been here for about four hours, which is hardly any time to come up with an analysis on the boy." As she spoke, her gaze drifted to a top window on number 4. "He's asleep."

"One would hope so, it's after midnight."

"The time means nothing. Plenty of humans stay up past midnight."

"Chloe, shut up." She laughed at him.

"Since when do I take orders from you?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "Have you at least met with him?"

Ardeth nodded, also looking up at the window. He could feel the boy's presence from where he stood two houses away. After the two gazed at the window for a while, Chloe smirked.

"Powerful, isn't he? It's little wonder why Angel wants him watched. A human like him could prove very use-" Ardeth cut her off with a glare, to which she rolled her eyes. "When did you become such a hard-ass? I remember a century ago, you used to enjoy my company."

"A century ago, if you'll recall, I was still human." He returned his gaze once again to the window above him. Chloe raised an eyebrow.

"So, you blame your shift in personality on the Change?"

"Not wholly on the Change. I also blame you. You should be less annoying." He saw stars. He whimpered, rubbing the spot where her fist had connected with his skull.

"That's what you get for insulting me," she said, turning her back to him. He embraced her from behind.

"You know I was kidding, Chloe. You're still my closest friend," he muttered, resting his chin on her shoulder. She grinned.

"I used to be more." Ardeth rolled his eyes and let her go.

"Not anymore, Chloe," he said, smiling at her. She looked back at him, still grinning.

"Yeah, I know. You're too serious for me." He frowned, causing her to laugh. "See? That's exactly what I'm talking about."

"Just get out of here and let me do my job, please?" She raised her hands in surrender.

"Ok, ok. I'll go and tell Angel that you've met with the boy." She turned and started walking away. Ardeth had turned back to watch the window again when he heard her call his name. He growled then turned to glare at her.

"What?"

"A word of caution, my young friend: Don't fall in love with a human, unless you plan to Turn them." Then, turning on her heel, she faded into the shadows. Ardeth rolled his eyes again.

"I know…you told me that when you turned me yourself, Chloe." He turned his attention back to Harry's window, sitting down on the low garden wall.

Dawn came, and at 7:30 Harry's alarm clock went off. Switching it off, he crawled out of bed and over to his window, gazing at the morning sky. Before turning back into the room, yawning and stretching, his gaze dropped to the garden.

No one was there.

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**~A/N:** How many of you are confused? Please say none...It's quite obvious what Ardeth and Chloe are. As for _why_ they're watching Harry, you'll just have to be patient and wait for the next chapter. Jaa ne! Renrin~


	2. Katheryn

Vampire's Curse takes place in Harry's "seventh" year. Books 5-7 disreguarded. WARNING: This story contains Slash(male/male pairings) and Femmslash(female/female pairings). If you don't like it, don't read. You have been warned. Flamers will NOT be tolerated.

**~A/N:** Sorry it took so long for the update. Got a bad virus and my laptop got fried. I lost EVERYTHING. Luckily, though, I had already uploaded my stories onto here, but all the work I had done on them that wasn't was gone. So, I had to re-write chapter 2....I wasn't a very happy camper. Anyway, thanks for reading, and please review!

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Chapter two: Katheryn

"Boy! Are you up yet?!" Harry jumped and winced as his aunt screeched down the hall about an hour after he woke up, her voice grating on his ears.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia!" He called back.

"Well, hurry up and get down here! I need you to get started on the garden!" He sighed.

"Alright!" He waited until he was sure she wasn't going to scream at him anymore, then looked back down at the letter he had been writing to Hermione, asking the girl what she knew about other magical persons other than wizards. There was now a long line going from the "y" of his name through the entire letter. He groaned, recapping his ink and setting the letter aside. Rewriting it will have to wait.

Once downstairs, his aunt sent him into the garden almost immediately, letting him pause briefly to eat the grapefruit quarter that was his breakfast. Dudley's diet was still going on, and it didn't seem to be working at all. After eating, she shoved him outside with a pair of pruning sheers, telling him to get to work while she bustled about, cleaning the house. Ah, the joys of "cleaning day".

Harry glared at the shrub bush, cursing it for becoming so wild. With a defeated sigh, he started clipping.

-x:x-

Hours passed without incident, and sometime around noon, he was finally done with what his aunt wanted. She forced him to stay outside until he brushed all the soil off his pants, told him to leave his trainers out, and then let him back in. He made a beeline for his room, intent on sending that letter. He didn't know why he needed to know about this so badly. _It's not as if I'll ever see him again,_ he thought as he crossed to his desk and pulled a clean sheet of parchment in front of him. _Although, for some strange reason, that makes me depressed…I wonder why._

Rewriting the letter wasn't that hard, but it did take him a little longer because of the line. After about fifteen minutes, it was done, and he re-read it to check for anything else he could add.

_Dear Hermione,_

_How's your summer going? Mine's going all right. My aunt and uncle are still working on that diet for my cousin, Dudley. I'm about ready to tell them to give it up. You'd think after three years, there would be SOME type of improvement, right? I'm spending most of my time outside, now, especially around dusk. My uncle keeps growling at me every time he sees me in the house, so I get out to avoid him. Which brings me to the real reason why I'm writing this letter._

_I met someone weird last night. He said his name is Ardeth Bay, or at least I think that's how you spell his name. He knows who I am, and he said he can do magic, but he said he isn't a wizard. He also wouldn't tell me his age, saying I wouldn't believe him even if he did. Do you have any idea what he means? He's a really nice guy, though. He bought me a sandwich and a cup of tea after we ran into each other. Let me know what you think as soon as possible, ok?_

_Harry._

Not finding anything else he could add, Harry folded the letter and woke up Hedwig. She screeched and fluttered her wings against the bars of her cage, glaring up at him.

"Oh, come on. Don't give me that look, please?" he said, feeling a bit bad for waking her. Her glare softened and she nipped affectionately at his fingers as he opened the cage. "Got a letter for you. Think you're up to it, or should I wait for Pig?"

At the mention of Ron's pigmy, Hedwig's glare returned and she bit his finger hard.

"Ouch! You know I was joking, Hedwig," he consoled, stroking his owl's feathers. She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch, and he smiled, holding out the letter for her. She took it in her beak and spread her wings. "Come back safe, ok?" Harry said as he opened the window and watched her leave. He stood there for a while, leaning against the windowsill and watching the sky. All of a sudden, a voice broke through the silence with a cheerful: "Hello!"

Blinking and looking down, Harry laid eyes on the most strangely dressed girl he'd ever seen in his life, even more bizarre than Luna Lovegood. She wore a very short shirt that barely covered her small chest that was blue with white lace on the front and rainbow hearts all over it, a very short blue jeans skirt with more rainbows, a big plastic black studded belt that was completely unnecessary, black knee-high boots, and a messenger bag that seemed to be multi-colored because of all the buttons she had pinned on it. Her arms were covered with black and pink striped arm-warmers and about two-dozen plastic gummy bracelets on both. There was a ring on every other finger and her fingernails were covered with chipping black and neon green nail polish and a single necklace that looked more like a pentagram that was hanging from a shoestring. Underneath all this she seemed to be wearing a bodysuit that was made of mesh. But the biggest thing that attracted attention was the girl's hair. It looked like it was originally a light brown judging by the girl's eyebrows, but now it was bright pink with purple streaks running through it drawn back into two braids on either side of her head. Sitting on top of her head were fake cat ears that were the same outrageous color as her hair. This oddity was standing on their garden wall, smiling up at him.

"Uh…Hi?" his statement was more of a question as he raised an eyebrow. Who the hell was she? She didn't seem put off by his reluctant hello: quite the contrary. Her smile widened, revealing sharp canine teeth. Harry's eyebrows hit his hairline before reason caught up with him. _Hold on…_ _there's no way a vampire can be out during the day. Those are probably fake, like her ears._

The girl jumped down off the wall and into their yard, stopping right below Harry's window. "You're Harry Potter, right?"

He nodded, unsure of what to say. The girl looked strangely familiar, although Harry was certain he'd never laid eyes on her before. _Wait a minute… eyes! Her eyes are the same color as Ardeth's!_

"My name is Katheryn. You met my big brother Ardeth last night. Are you doing anything important at the moment?"

"Not until my aunt gives me something else to do," Harry said, moving back from the window a little. He still wasn't too sure about this girl. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if you would like to spend some time with me today."

"Um…" He wanted to tell her no, that he probably shouldn't because his aunt might need his help with more things around the house, but he didn't seem to have the heart to lie to her. Not with her smiling so sweetly up at him like that. He closed his eyes briefly, cursing himself for being so kind-hearted, then nodded to himself. "Ok, I'll be down in a minute."

"Yay!" The girl jumped up and down, her shirt lifting dangerously high with each bounce. Trying not to blush, Harry turned away from the window and went downstairs. As he was passing the living room, his uncle stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going, boy?" he sneered at him. Harry glanced at the man.

"Out for a walk. I'll be back later." Uncle Vernon grunted, turning back to the TV. Harry continued to the front door and when he opened it was met by a vision of pink. He jumped back a bit, stifling a yelp. Katheryn giggled.

"Sorry. Did I scare ya?" Harry blinked a few times, then joined her on the porch.

"N-not really…"

"Oh, that's good, then," she said, latching onto his arm. Again, Harry blinked, slowly counting to ten. This girl was very spontaneous, and Harry wasn't all that comfortable with the physical interaction. Nonetheless, he didn't pull away from her grip as she pulled him away from the house and down the street.

-x:x-

Katheryn, or Kitty as she insisted that Harry call her, was actually a very sweet girl, just a bit spastic. She seemed to be fascinated with everything, like she hadn't been outside for a while. Like Harry had already guessed, her natural hair color was light brown, the same shade as Ardeth's and, like him, she liked bright colors, saying her favorite color was light blue. They stopped by a convenience store to get drinks, which Kitty insisted she pay for even though Harry had muggle money on him for once, before continuing to walk around, talking about random things.

"I'm not always this hyper," Kitty said randomly when they stopped at a park near dusk. She took a seat on a vacant swing, pushing her feet back and forth on the ground, not swinging, but imitating the motion. Harry sat next to her, just watching her, looping an arm around the chain of his swing. "I'm just excited that I get to spend some time with you. My brother told me about you when he got home last night, and I've heard about you before of course, so when my brother asked me if I would like to meet you, I jumped at the opportunity. I was supposed to wait until he got home from work tonight, but I couldn't. So I asked around to find out where you lived, and you know what happened after that."

Harry smiled, a bit bewildered. "Why did you want to meet me so bad?"

"Hm…Well, you're supposed to be this great wizard and all, so I always imagined you to be kind of scary, so when Ardeth told me how nice you were, I guess I wanted to see for myself if he was telling the truth or not."

"Look, I'm not all that great. I'm just like any other wizard." Kitty shook her head.

"You're powerful, Harry. Magic radiates off of you in waves. I know that sounds weird, but it's true. I can feel it." Harry blinked, even more bewildered. He knew that he was moderately talented in certain areas of magic, but to be called "powerful" by a girl who wasn't even a witch, and to also hear said girl say that magic radiates off of him, was a bit strange. He looked at the ground for a moment, then up at her.

"I don't want to be rude or prying, or anything, but last night your brother said that he wasn't a wizard," Harry stated, watching Kitty's expression closely. She stopped and looked at him, her blue eyes bright with curiosity, and nodded for him to continue. "I assume that it's the same for you, right?" Another nod. "Then, what are you?"

Kitty smiled. "Well, I'm a Da-" She covered her mouth fast, her eyes growing wide. "Um…I can't actually tell you, Harry…I wish I could, but my brother would be furious. I'm sorry." She looked at the ground, avoiding his eyes. She looked almost ashamed of herself for what she had been about to tell him. Harry frowned a little.

"Why would he be furious at you for telling me?" She looked at him, her hands still covering her mouth. Finally, she lowered them.

"We aren't supposed to tell. It's forbidden to, actually. I'm not entirely sure why, exactly, but…" She trailed off, looking at the ground again, or rather frowning at it. It was the first time all day Harry had seen a frown on her face, and it worried him. It made him feel horrible for asking her questions about what she was, and it also made him feel like he had to protect her. Tentatively, he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry for asking you. You shouldn't tell me, anyway, if it's forbidden. I don't want you getting into trouble." She blinked and looked up at him, studying his face for a few moments as if to determine if he was telling the truth or not, then smiled.

"You really are kind, aren't you?" She leaned over and kissed him quickly on the cheek, which made him squeak and blush. She laughed at him then began to actually swing. Harry watched her, his blush fading. She was captivating, but he didn't find himself attracted to her. It was like he felt like she was his little sister. He smiled to himself, thinking _she's like Ginny._ Rough laughter broke into his thoughts and he looked up at the same time Kitty stopped swinging. His cousin and his gang were standing near the park's fence, watching them.

"Hey, Potter, who's she? Your girlfriend?" Dudley sneered. Harry rolled his eyes and Kitty's eyes narrowed a bit.

"Just ignore them…" He whispered to her, but Dudley's friends wouldn't allow that.

"It would make sense, Big D. She looks weird and ugly enough for him!" one said, causing the others to laugh. Harry glared at them, wishing for the millionth time that using magic on muggles wasn't illegal. Kitty stood, her eyes flashing dangerously, marched up to them, and slapped the one that said the comment across the face. He reeled as if she had punched him, looking back at her in shock. Four thin scratch marks were on his now red cheek, and they were bleeding.

"Take it back," she demanded in a tight voice. When the boy continued to stare at her, her glare intensified. Harry rushed over to them and grabbed her arm, which she jerked out of his grip with a strength that surprised him.

"Take it back!" She barked again. Dudley and his friends shrank back from her, then the one she had slapped glared back.

"Fuck you, you freak!" Kitty's eyes widened a bit, and then she growled. She reached out and grabbed the kid by the front of his shirt, picking him up off the ground even though he was a good fifty pounds heavier than she was, causing him to gasp.

"Kitty, stop!" Harry grabbed her arm again, but she elbowed him away. The kid was struggling, but for some reason he couldn't get out of her grip.

"Let me go, you bitch!" Kitty growled again, pulling him closer until their noses were about an inch apart.

"Take it back," she whispered dangerously. The kid made a noise halfway between a gasp and a squeak.

"Ok, ok! I take it back! I'm sorry!" Kitty pushed him away from her, making him fall over. She was still glaring at him. Dudley and the others picked him up off the ground and took off, Dudley shooting Harry a look that clearly said 'wait until mum and dad hear about this!' _Wonderful, _he thought. He turned and frowned at Kitty.

"I know they insulted you, but wasn't that taking things a bit too far?" He asked irritably. She looked at him, her eyes still cold.

"I could've done worse," she stated simply. Harry sighed, thankful it hadn't been. He was about to say something when a voice interrupted him.

"Katheryn, I thought I told you to wait to meet him." Both of them gasped and looked up. Ardeth was standing there, his arms crossed in front of his chest and crystal blue eyes narrowed at his little sister.

* * *

**~A/N:** Bum, bum, bum. Both Kitty and Harry are in trouble. Heh. To stop the question _before_ you guys ask ('cause I know some of you will) NO. Kitty and Harry are NOT going to become an item. And I know I told you last chapter I'd tell you why Ardeth and Chloe are following Harry, but I'm mean. Any guesses on what the new additions to Harry's world are? (It's kind of obvious, at least to me...) Tell me what you think. Also, the scene with Harry and Hedwig is VERY important, so remember it, ok? ~Renrin~


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